Laura Werner is a Vice President and Private Wealth Advisor at OSAIC Institutions, Inc. with 17 years of industry experience. She previously held roles at Huntington National Bank and FineMark National Bank & Trust. She is licensed with Series 63 and Series 65 designations. OSAIC Institutions, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving individuals, ERISA retirement plans, trusts, estates, and corporate clients. The firm offers customized advisory services through a network of investment adviser representatives and features a hybrid adviser/broker-dealer structure with a focus on both discretionary and non-discretionary assets.

Erica Smith is a CFP® professional with 12 years of industry experience, currently serving at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC. She has previously worked with Charleston Investment Advisors and The Wealth Management Alliance. Outside of financial advising, she owns and operates Smitten Handcrafted Designs, a jewelry business. Beacon Pointe Advisors provides investment advisory and consulting services to a diverse client base, including individuals, institutions, and charitable organizations. The firm employs a manager-focused approach, utilizing proprietary due diligence and asset allocation models to implement client strategies.

Frank Pugliese is a financial advisor with Principal Financial Services based in Mt Pleasant, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and 14 years of industry experience. His prior roles include positions at Mass Mutual Investors Services, MassMutual Life Insurance Company, and MetLife Securities Inc. He is also the owner of Trinity Wealth Partners, a non-investment-related business. Principal Securities provides brokerage and registered investment advisory services to a diverse client base, including individual investors, retirement plans, trusts, estates, and active-duty military personnel. The firm offers direct advisory programs, financial planning, retirement plan consulting, and access to third-party money manager solutions through various adviser and promoter arrangements.

Samuel Marshall is a financial advisor at D.A. Davidson & Co. with 10 years of industry experience and holds a Series 66 designation. He previously worked at Edward Jones for eight years before joining D.A. Davidson. D.A. Davidson & Co. provides investment advisory and brokerage services to a diverse client base, including retirement plans, individual investors, charitable organizations, and corporate clients. The firm offers a range of services such as ERISA retirement plan advisory, comprehensive financial planning, and a private wealth program for high-net-worth clients, all operating under fiduciary standards.

Edward Kotak Jr. is a financial advisor at Equity Services, Inc. with 13 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63, Series 65, and Series 66 credentials and has worked at firms including National Life Group and New York Life Insurance Company. Kotak is also CEO of Island Wealth Solutions Inc., an investment-related firm. Equity Services, Inc., operating as ESI Financial Advisors, offers financial planning, consulting, and asset management services to individuals, corporations, trusts, estates, charitable organizations, and employer retirement plans. The firm combines multiple advisory platforms and third-party asset managers, providing a range of long-term and shorter-term investment strategies.

Gary Knode is a financial advisor at AE Wealth Management, LLC with one year of experience in the industry. He holds a Series 65 designation and has been involved with Safe Harbor Financial/Safe Harbor Wealth since 2013, where he serves as president and manages insurance and annuity sales along with retirement planning for clients. AE Wealth Management is an SEC-registered investment adviser serving a diverse client base including individual investors, retirement plan sponsors, trusts, charitable organizations, and businesses. The firm offers model portfolio solutions, discretionary asset management, financial planning, ERISA plan services, and self-directed brokerage support through a platform that integrates AEWM-managed, third-party, and advisor-managed models.

Robert Swindle is a financial advisor with Guardian Life and holds Series 63 and Series 65 credentials. He has 13 years of industry experience, having worked previously at MML Investors Services and Mass Mutual Life Insurance Company before joining Park Avenue Securities in 2018. He also engages in providing insurance products outside of Guardian Life. Park Avenue Securities, a subsidiary of The Guardian Life Insurance Company of America, offers brokerage and advisory services to individuals, corporate and retirement plan sponsors, and charitable organizations. The firm combines advisor-led discretionary management with model-based strategies and provides access to proprietary and third-party investment solutions.

Mark Taylor is a financial advisor with Valic Financial Advisors in North Charleston, SC, holding Series 63 and Series 65 licenses and bringing 26 years of industry experience. He has been with Valic Financial Advisors since 1999 and has also worked with Agia since 2022. Outside of advisory work, he is involved as a member managing small self-storage facility operations. Valic Financial Advisors primarily serves U.S.-based individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models to construct client portfolios.

David Kornegay is a CFP® professional with over 32 years of experience in the financial services industry. He has worked at Valic Financial Advisors since 2011 and holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses. In addition to his advisory role, he is a commissioned notary in South Carolina. Valic Financial Advisors serves U.S.-domiciled individual investors, including high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients, as well as corporate and retirement-plan participants. The firm offers discretionary managed-account programs, financial planning, and brokerage services, utilizing Envestnet-developed UMA models to construct client portfolios.

Ryan Shannon is a financial advisor at Prime Capital Financial with four years of industry experience. He holds a Series 66 designation and has worked previously at Park Avenue Securities, Guardian Life Insurance Company, and Principal Securities Inc. Outside of his advisory role, he is involved with PCRM, LLC, which focuses on the sale and service of fixed-insurance products. Prime Capital Financial is an SEC-registered firm serving individuals, trusts, corporations, and retirement plans with services including asset management, financial planning, qualified retirement plan sponsor and trustee services, and third-party manager selection. The firm employs a variety of investment strategies and offers family office services alongside tax planning through an affiliated accounting subsidiary.

Jeffrey Lansink is a Certified Financial Planner® (CFP®) with 29 years of industry experience. He has worked at Independent Advisor Alliance, LLC since 2015 and has been affiliated with LPL Financial since 2004. Lansink operates out of Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and is engaged in roles connected to both his registered investment advisor business and his LPL Financial activities. Independent Advisor Alliance serves a diverse client base including individuals, small businesses, charitable organizations, and retirement plans. The firm delivers asset management, financial planning, and retirement plan consulting through a combination of discretionary and non-discretionary portfolio management, utilizing model portfolios, sub-advisors, and various analytical techniques, supported by technology platforms to enhance service delivery.

Daniel Russler Jr. is a financial advisor at Sequoia Financial Group, L.L.C. with 22 years of industry experience. He holds Series 63 and Series 66 licenses and previously served as Chief Investment Officer at Family Asset Management, LLC. Sequoia Financial Advisors offers wealth planning, investment management, retirement-plan advisory, and consulting services to a diverse client base including individuals, family offices, corporations, and charitable organizations. The firm combines model portfolios and custom solutions, utilizing a range of investment vehicles and regular portfolio reviews conducted by an Investment Policy Committee.

Joseph Diamond is a financial advisor with VALIC Financial Advisors in North Charleston, SC, holding CFP®, Series 63, and Series 65 credentials and having 30 years of industry experience. He has been with VALIC Financial Advisors since 1997 and also works with Agia since 2022. Outside of his advisory role, he serves on the advisory board for Campus Outreach Charleston, is a committee member of the Global Impact Committee at East Cooper Baptist Church, and volunteers as a director for the Colson Fellows ECBC affiliate. VALIC Financial Advisors, Inc. is an SEC-registered investment adviser and FINRA-member broker-dealer serving primarily U.S. individual clients, including high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals, as well as employer-sponsored retirement participants. The firm offers portfolio management, financial planning, and consulting services through a large network of advisors and uses discretionary unified managed accounts with options for tax-aware and ESG overlays, relying on a centralized technology platform to serve a substantial client base.

James Lasher is a ChFC® credentialed financial advisor with 23 years of industry experience, currently practicing at Eagle Strategies (NY Life) in Charleston, SC. He has worked with Eagle Strategies since 2009 and has been affiliated with New York Life and its related entities since 2005. Outside of his advisory work, he serves as a board member for the Unionville Recreation Association, a local youth sports organization. Eagle Strategies serves a broad range of individual and institutional clients, providing financial planning, investment management, and retirement-plan advisory services through a large network of affiliated advisors. The firm offers multiple program types tailored to client objectives, with a significant focus on non-discretionary assets and fiduciary advisory roles for retirement investors.

Marie Hadwin is a Series 66-licensed financial advisor with 14 years of industry experience. She is currently with NewEdge Advisors, having joined in 2026, and previously worked at firms including Forvis Mazars Wealth Advisors, DHG Wealth Advisors, Bank of America, Merrill, and UBS Financial Services. NewEdge Advisors is an enterprise-scale registered investment adviser serving individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, corporations, trusts, estates, and charitable organizations through a network of independent adviser representatives. The firm provides a broad range of services, including portfolio management, financial planning, retirement consulting, and access to various advisory programs, supported by centralized due diligence and technology-enabled solutions.

Brandy Benton is a Certified Financial Planner (CFP®) with Creative Planning, bringing two years of industry experience. She previously worked at JBJ Invest for eight years before joining Creative Planning, where she has been since 2022. Creative Planning provides wealth management, financial planning, and retirement-plan advisory services to a diverse client base that includes high-net-worth individuals, pension and profit-sharing plans, and institutional trusts and corporations. The firm employs a financial-planning-led investment approach emphasizing low-cost indexing, buy-and-hold strategies, and selective private market exposure.

Merriweather Mule is a CFP® professional with four years of industry experience, currently serving at Beacon Pointe Advisors, LLC. Prior to joining Beacon Pointe Advisors, Mule worked at CornerCap Wealth Advisors for four years. In addition to advisory duties, Mule is an agent involved in the sale of life, health, and accident insurance products through Beacon Pointe Insurance Services, LLC. Beacon Pointe Advisors provides wealth advisory, financial planning, and outsourced chief investment officer services to a diverse client base including individual investors, corporations, and institutional clients. The firm employs a combination of asset allocation modeling and third-party independent managers across public and private asset classes.

Jonathan Hutson is a CFP® professional with eight years of industry experience, currently serving at First Command Advisory Services. He has been with First Command in various roles since 2018 and is also affiliated with the College of Charleston. First Command Advisory Services is an SEC-registered investment adviser focused on serving individuals, corporate, and charitable clients, with particular attention to active-duty service members and their families. The firm provides financial planning and multiple wrap-fee asset management programs, utilizing a centralized Investment Management Team to manage model portfolios and third-party manager selections.

Scott Soenen is a financial advisor at First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. with 20 years of industry experience. He holds the Series 63 and Series 66 designations and has worked at firms including TD Bank, Truist Investment Services, Wells Fargo, and Northwestern Mutual. First Citizens Investor Services, Inc. serves individuals—including high-net-worth clients—pension and profit-sharing plans, charitable organizations, and corporate entities, offering advisory and brokerage services through Investment Adviser Representatives and third-party Portfolio Managers. The firm’s approach integrates fundamental, quantitative, and technical analysis to manage portfolios across a range of asset types.

Justin Greene is a financial advisor at Empower Advisory Group with four years of industry experience and holds Series 63 and Series 65 licenses. Prior to joining Empower, he worked at Prime Capital Investment Advisors, Nylife Securities, New York Life Insurance, and Edward Jones. Outside of his advisory role, he owns The Lowcountry Dugout, LLC, where he coaches and provides instruction to youth baseball athletes. Empower Advisory Group primarily serves employer-sponsored retirement plan sponsors and their participants, offering financial planning and investment management through an integrated model linked to Empower’s recordkeeping and administrative platforms. The firm emphasizes long-term portfolio returns and coordinated services within plan lineups selected by plan sponsors.